Distance: 8 miles Time to complete walk: 3.5 hours
Safety Tips: Take a walking stick as the forest path and the moor can be muddy after rain. Use your stick to test the firmness of the path on the moor as it can be marshy after a heavy downpour. Remember sunscreen for protection from the sun on the moor.
A vigorous walk following a stream through a forest and onto the moors. Your destination is an ancient cross called the Lilla Cross which was built to commemorate one of King Edwins counsellors who was killed as he stepped in front a poison dagger thrown in an attempt to kill the king. On finishing the walk there is an opportunity to visit Whitby or the Falling Foss tea garden. See the Falling Foss walk for details of the tea garden.
The Lilla Cross walk
Getting There
Map of the Lilla Cross walk
The Walk
From the car park walk up the approach opposite until it bends and look for a signpost to the left.
Look for a signpost to the left
Descend down the path crossing over a bridge and continue on the path which is beside the stream. (You are at marker 1 on the map)
Follow the path
Continue along the grassy track and through a kissing gate, beside the stream until it swings away from the stream and carries on into the forest.
Go through the kissing gate
Continue on into the forest
When you reach a forest road turn right and follow it to a junction and then continue to the track to the right.
At the junction continue on the track to the right
After about 400m on the forest track look for a track to the left (you are at marker 2 on the map)
Track to the left
Follow the path on the moor
Follow the moorland path and you will soon pass the remains of York Cross.
York Cross remains
Follow the path forward to a waymarked post or take a short cut to the left. Which ever way you choose you will come to a main moorland path. Join the path and continue on it to the left.
Follow the moorland path to the left
Continue on the moorland path using your walking stick to make sure the path is solid. Prepare to get muddy boots if there has been rain! Keep the fence to your right. (you are at marker 3 on the map)
Soon you will join a track at a T junction. To get to Lilla Cross, turn right and go through the gate.
Go through the gate to your right
Follow the waymarked path to the left and then look for the path to your right which you can see will lead directly to the Lilla Cross (you are at marker 4 on the map)
Follow the waymarked signpost
Take the path to Lilla Cross
Visit the cross which originates from the 7th century.
Lilla Cross
Retrace your steps and go back through the gate and follow the track back to the forest. (you are at marker 6 on the map)
Follow the track back to the forest
When you come to a junction turn right onto the track
Turn right at the junction
This is the same track you started the walk on. (You are at marker 7 on the map) Look out for a signpost to the left and rejoin the path you came on which joins the stream.
Turn left at the signpost
Cross the bridge and turn right onto the track to return to the car park.
Lilla Cross
The site of Lilla Cross once formed the boundaries of four Medieval parishes as well as the junction of two trackways and the limits of an estate belonging to Whitby Abbey in the 11th century - it still forms part of a modern political boundary today. Long before this of course the Bronze Age inhabitants of the North Yorkshire Moors area built a round barrow here that formed part of their own territorial boundary that included Flat Howes, Pen Howes, Breckon Howe, Sil Howe, Flass Brow, Robbed Howe, Foster Howes, Ann Howe, Louven Howe, Lilla Howe, High Woof Howe and Low Woof Howe. These barrow run in a roughly northwest-southeast direction from Black Brow close to the High Bride Stones down to near the head of the valley of Stockland Beck about seven miles away in what is now the Langdale Forest. The barrow of Lilla Howe itself was constructed of earth and stone and measures about 20 metres in diameter and stands over a metre tall although it has been quite badly damaged over the years - the photograph above shows a track cutting across the southern edge, there is also one to the north. The site has fine views with Goathland Moor to the west, Sneaton High Moor to the north, Fylingdales Moor to the east and Langdale Forest to the south.
The cross takes its name from an 8th century Saxon nobleman who died saving the king's life although the style of the carving is thought to date it to the 10th century, it is interesting to note that excavations of the barrow have uncovered Anglo Saxon and Viking grave goods.
Just a few paces to the northeast of Lilla Howe at SE88929871 is another smaller barrow that is easily overlooked, it measures around 13 metres in diameter but is only about half a metre high and badly overgrown.
The cross takes its name from an 8th century Saxon nobleman who died saving the king's life although the style of the carving is thought to date it to the 10th century, it is interesting to note that excavations of the barrow have uncovered Anglo Saxon and Viking grave goods.
Just a few paces to the northeast of Lilla Howe at SE88929871 is another smaller barrow that is easily overlooked, it measures around 13 metres in diameter but is only about half a metre high and badly overgrown.
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